A flexible, channel-minimized and large-scale touch position sensor combining contact electrification effect and screen-printed stagger electrode patterns

Abstract

The large-scale touch position sensor as a key human–machine interface toolkit holds immense significance in smart city and home construction. However, prior alternatives suffer from high power consumption, material limitations, and implementation costs. Herein, a self-powered and scalable touch position strategy that integrates contact electrification with a screen-printing technique is proposed. Simply, high-impedance electrodes with stagger patterns are screen-printed onto various substrates before being covered with a dielectric layer. The locating mechanism originates from the touch-generated triboelectric charge shunt effect in the electrodes. The screen-printing parameters that affect the positional accuracy are discussed in detail. Leveraging this strategy, we realize a tailorable and large-scale triboelectric touch position sensor (LTTPS) that offers flexibility, self-powered capability, and a minimized signal channel, making it suitable for various practical scenarios. Demonstrations include an intelligent bookshelf mat with book management functionality, a rollable and foldable film-like keyboard, and a 4 m² walk-tracking carpet. The LTTPS in this work provides an appealing alternative for large-scale touch positioning and enriches human–machine interaction.

Keywords

contact electrification / high-impedance / large-scale touch position sensor / screen-printing / triboelectric nanogenerator

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2025 The Author(s). InfoMat published by UESTC and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.